Umiida facts for kids
The Umiida (also spelled Umida or Umede) were an Aboriginal Australian group of people. They lived in the Kimberley area, which is in the northern part of Western Australia.
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What Language Did the Umiida Speak?
The Umiida people spoke a dialect of the (western) Worrorra language. We don't know much about their language. What little information we have was written down by a person named Howard Coate in the 1960s. He also recorded information about the Ungarrangu language.
Where Did the Umiida Live?
Norman Tindale, a researcher, estimated the size of the Umiida's traditional lands. He believed their territory covered about 1,800 square miles (4,662 square kilometers). This area was along the coastline of Yampi Sound and its bays, reaching south to Cone Bay.
To the north, they owned islands from Koolan to Macleay Island. Their lands stretched west to Bathurst Island, Bayliss Island, and other islands in Strickland Bay. However, their land inland only went as far as the watershed, which is the area of land that drains into a river or lake.
How Did the Umiida Live?
The Umiida were a nomadic people, meaning they moved from place to place. They were known for using rafts to travel and gather food from the ocean around the many islands in their area. They had friendly relationships with the Djaui and Unggarranggu tribes, who also lived nearby and used the ocean's resources.
What Were the Umiida's Beliefs?
Like other Worrorra-speaking groups nearby, the Umiida were part of the Wandjina/Wunggurr cultural complex. This means their beliefs included the Dreaming, which is a very important part of Aboriginal spirituality.
In their Dreaming stories, they believed in wandjina. These were fresh-water creator beings who looked after important places. They also believed in a common Worrorran rainbow serpent called Wunggurr.
What Happened When They Met Others?
Some Umiida people were moved to Beagle Bay, a community in Western Australia. Sadly, some of them died there. Today, people who are partly of Umiida descent are known to live in Broome.
Other Names for the Umiida
The Umiida people were known by several other names, including:
- Umeda
- Umidi
- Aobidai (This was a name given to them by the Unggarranggu people.)
- Umi:da
- Oken
- Okat
- Okwata
- Okada or Okata (This was another name the Umiida used for themselves, and the Unggarranggu people used it for the language they shared.)
